Feedback on "Juice Up Your Game" rules
Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:55 pm
So I really like the impulse behind these, being an old Feng Shui fan. I do have some concerns/suggestions about the specific implementations though.
Mook rules - The problem here is that part of the beauty of the original mook rules (Feng Shui) was that you didn't have to track hp for mooks. Part of making a fight mookariffic is lowering their overhead for the DM.
At least the Maximize Spell for the casters kinda does this, because it normalizes damage to a constant rather than variable (saves notwithstanding), but the cleave/shot feats add more complexity not less! Perhaps for melee/missile the same deal applies, max damage, instead of the bonus feats. That helps a little with simplifying the rolling/math.
A true Feng Shui mook rule would be more like:
Spell (damage with save): if they fail their save by 5 or more, they die. if they fail their save but not by 5 or more, they're stunned for a round.
Weapon (or to-hit spell): if you exceed your to-hit by 5 or more, they die. if you hit but not by 5 or more, they're stunned for a round.
Although this might be not comparable, as saves don't go up like to-hits do. Since spells are a consumable resource, maybe remove the "5 or more"?
Big Badass (boss) rules: OK... Could be more flavorful. Also may be anticlimactic, if he succumbed to loads of debuffs, DoTs, etc... Not sure whether the intent is for those to turn off when he "dies" the first time...
Phat Lewt: there's one treasure item worth all the rest of the treasure combined. I like it as long as you can't cash it in; in WFF#1 they made the phat lewt essentially "soulbound" (WoW term) to handle that.
Finishing Moves: I don't really like the BAB/AC dependency here. Makes it hard for casters to "finish him, though there is the option to switch that to a to-hit vs. 11+Will save bonus for casters. And it's, you know, a little complicated. If it could more streamlined and more balanced... Ideas?
Mook rules - The problem here is that part of the beauty of the original mook rules (Feng Shui) was that you didn't have to track hp for mooks. Part of making a fight mookariffic is lowering their overhead for the DM.
At least the Maximize Spell for the casters kinda does this, because it normalizes damage to a constant rather than variable (saves notwithstanding), but the cleave/shot feats add more complexity not less! Perhaps for melee/missile the same deal applies, max damage, instead of the bonus feats. That helps a little with simplifying the rolling/math.
A true Feng Shui mook rule would be more like:
Spell (damage with save): if they fail their save by 5 or more, they die. if they fail their save but not by 5 or more, they're stunned for a round.
Weapon (or to-hit spell): if you exceed your to-hit by 5 or more, they die. if you hit but not by 5 or more, they're stunned for a round.
Although this might be not comparable, as saves don't go up like to-hits do. Since spells are a consumable resource, maybe remove the "5 or more"?
Big Badass (boss) rules: OK... Could be more flavorful. Also may be anticlimactic, if he succumbed to loads of debuffs, DoTs, etc... Not sure whether the intent is for those to turn off when he "dies" the first time...
Phat Lewt: there's one treasure item worth all the rest of the treasure combined. I like it as long as you can't cash it in; in WFF#1 they made the phat lewt essentially "soulbound" (WoW term) to handle that.
Finishing Moves: I don't really like the BAB/AC dependency here. Makes it hard for casters to "finish him, though there is the option to switch that to a to-hit vs. 11+Will save bonus for casters. And it's, you know, a little complicated. If it could more streamlined and more balanced... Ideas?